Size Matters???

Rebel with a Cause

Until recently when I reached for a light beer, it usually meant a Tripel from Belgium or the ubiquitous but super-tasty Duvel. But an ABV of 8.5% and the beginnings of a paunch had me rethinking my ideas of what a summer thirst quencher should be. So this has been a summer of exploration in some of the lighter “session” beer styles. I have always been a fan of Belgian wheat beers, great summer beers, but I wanted to step outside my comfort zone. So why not choose a style mired in craft brew scorn with many a poor soul getting their only taste of one from the likes of Budweiser. The Pilsner. Luckily, it is a style that American microbreweries are starting to work with and great examples are easy to find. It is also a style with a long and noble European tradition. Three fine examples show the full spectrum of possibilities with the style:


Mama’s Little Yella Pils

The smell is grainy with pilsner malt and a light hop presence. Some grassy and floral notes are present as well. Crisp with little aroma hops but displays a fine bitter finish. Light in body. Perfect summer session beer and should be a staple for the pool or beach.









Victory Prima Pils

Light straw color. Strong hop aromas. Taste is light and hoppy with floral, herbal and spicy notes dominating. Assertive in flavor and hop bitterness. Malt sweetness provides balance to the hop bitterness. Clean and crisp finish with a strong floral hop aftertaste.








Czech Rebel Beer

Pours dark gold with sweet pilsner malt and bread flavors on the nose. Taste is rustic and earthy with a yeasty goodness. The Saaz hops give balance to the sweetness. As full-bodied pilsner. Again like all great Pilsners the finish is crisp with a medium hop bitterness.

Big Mac Attack....Rap

Return of the Dead

Sausagefest

Eat that!

Since this is amature food porn after all I will let the pictures do most of the talking. That and I failed to take adequate pictures throughout the sausage making process. I will say making sausage is pretty easy and the results where super tasty!

Pork shoulder cubed and seasoned with salt, chili powder, cumin, garlic, and fresh oregano.

Ground pork and seasoning.

Roasted and rough diced poblano peppers


Pig Intestines appear fragile, they are not.


Locked and loaded!

Getting my hands on the meat!

Not bad for my first time.


Linked up!

Fired up!

Hot off the grill. Homemade Pork and Roasted Poblano Sausage.

Tartiflette is Bacon Crack

Actual results differ from those pictured

When you have 2lbs. of home cured bacon in your fridge your mind starts obsessing on all things cured, salted, and smoked. My dream’s now come bacon-wrapped, what a wonderful fat-free delight!

So it is...while waiting for my wife as she ran into the mall for a minute. I had my River Cottage Cookbook in the car. Flip it open, and there it is, Tartiflette. A rustic sounding dish made with bacon, onions, potatoes, cheese, and heavy cream. Although, I would like to imagine it being made 150 years ago in rural France I come to find out after a little research that it actually was created as a marketing ploy to sell cheese. Oh...well.

If you are the type to judge a book by its cover my poor dish would not garner even a taste. I over parboiled my red potatoes so my dish lost some texture and shape. My "gas-grill-as-oven" experiment failed so I was unable to get a bubbly golden cheese crust. Lucky for me I was able to look past appearance and enjoy a devilishly good dish.

Tartiflette (My adaptation)

8 oz. Quality bacon or pancetta diced
1 lb. Yukon Gold Potatoes (parboiled then sliced)
2 Small white onions sliced
2/3 Cup Heavy Cream

4-6 oz. Emmenthaler (Traditionally Reblochon but any good melting cheese will do)

Preheat oven to 450. Set potatoes to parboil. Add the diced bacon to pan and set heat on medium.


Once bacon has begun to crisp and rendered most of it's fat add onions and cook gently till soft and golden. Add sliced potatoes and cook a few minutes more until potatoes brown slightly and onions begin to caramelize.

Pour bacon, potato, onion mixture into oven safe casserole. Pour cream over top and add the shredded or sliced cheese. Dish can be baked in oven until bubbling or can be refrigerated to be finished later.

Finished dish may lack visual appeal(to be corrected) but damn if it wasn't tasty. Paired perfectly with a tannic but fruity 2005 Vacqueyras (Southern Rhone red blend).

Bacon Part Deux

Home cured smoked bacon is pig candy! It took awhile, 7 days curing, 36 hours rinsed and resting to develop a pellicle , a tacky surface that allows the smoke to literally stick to the meat, and 3 hours hot smoking. But wow...just look at that picture. Bacon!

What went down...abbreviated version. I took the curing bacon out of the fridge, rinsed the belly well, and patted it dry. Back in the fridge for 36 hours uncovered. Saturday evening started up a little fire, soaked the apple wood chips, and smoked the belly for 3 hours.

The fire with the 1st addition of water soaked apple wood chips.

The pork belly at the start of the smoking process.

3 hours @ 200 degrees = Pig candy!!!